~ mains ~

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Buckwheat: Did you know that it's not actually a cereal grain, but is in fact a fruit seed?  It's the perfect alternative to those of you who are sensitive to wheat (or other grains containing gluten), and it can also be used as an alternative to rice or as porridge.

It's high level of rutin helps treat high blood pressure, it helps lower blood sugars more slowly than rice or wheat products, and it's brilliant for your digestion by cleaning and strengthening the intestines.

I've been reading quite a bit of information about this little seed lately, which seems to be gaining in popularity, and so with my head full of knowledge and a big bag of the stuff sitting patiently on my counter, I dove right in.  It's such an easy ingredient to work with and I find the taste almost nutty like.  It's a lot lighter on your tongue than a traditional risotto is, and in turn, a lot lighter in your stomach.

When I initially started on this AIP pathway of mine – I’ll admit that I lost a little part of me.  My joy of cooking.  I was overwhelmed with the changes and “strictness” of the protocol, and my “feeling sorry for myself” attitude didn’t help matters.  However, finding this website and purchasing this book gave me back that little piece of joy I was missing.  It made me want to skip back into my kitchen and play, and in fact that first night I brought it home, I couldn’t wait to hit the shops and pick up the ingredients ……

Apart from my obvious obsession for all things French, I have a keen and ever increasing passion for all things gut related.  Not quite in the same realm as each other, but any hoo…whatever floats your boat.

So today I'm sharing with you 6 simple, everyday tips that you can add into your day to day life to help improve you digestion and get it into a tip top working state......

Say hello to Sarah!

Sarah loves to bake (like me).   She is from Ontario, Canada (a country I hope to one day see soon, and a country where my niece Miss B is studying at university....well, she says she's studying...hehe).  Sarah fully admits to being a comfort eater (like me too!), and is the lovely lady behind the blog Things I Make for Dinner, a place where she keeps weekly menu plans and showcases her newly tried recipes.  

I love that Sarah and her husband lose weight and save money by cooking and eating at home (this made me laugh Sarah) and what put a big smile on my face is that she adores French food (ME TOO!!)  Things I Make for Dinner is my Secret Recipe blog for the month of October, and my recipe this month is a long-time favourite, yet one I rarely cook myself.  That's all changed now....

Pink Peppercorns.

Did you know that they're  not actually a true peppercorn?  Just a little ripe berry from the Brazilian pepper tree.  Who knew?

With a delicate, fragrant, sweet and spicy flavor, reminiscent of sweet berries and citrus zest.  

They can help fight against flu, colds and infections, and can also give relief from muscle stiffness and aches.

Sounds like I could use a truck full of these little biddy beauties after every Wednesday's pilates class.

Champvallon.  

A rustic yet still fairly elegant dish which dates back to the reign of Louis XIV, supposedly invented by one of his mistresses.  Where the name itself comes from,  there seems to be no clear answer.  Perhaps from the tiny little French village Champvallon located in the region of Bourgogne, or perhaps named after the archbishop of Paris during Louis XIV's reign, Francoi de Harley de Champvallon?

Whatever the answer, this is a lovely little dish to have bubbling away in your oven while the rain falls outside and while you sip a well deserved glass of red.

It's as simple as it sounds.  Chicken, red wine and just the one pot.  Oh...and a little love.

I love the shift to Winter my mind, body and routine takes.  Bit by bit, slowing down.  Not completely, as that would be too good to be true, but just enough to notice.  I seem to take longer over my morning latte.  I'm in bed earlier.  The food in my kitchen cooks for longer.

This dish is not the true coq au vin.  However, it is chicken slow cooked in red wine and I did use French wine, so I'm still going to say it's somewhat French.  Perhaps French inspired?

Everything about this veggie tart is a good thing.

I'm excited about making it AND eating it, so I thought I'd better share.

It may be vegetarian, it may be gluten-free and it may be green, but by golly it's good.

In the weeks since 2015 began, I've been delving further into and experimenting with foods that detoxify, help alkalise my body, strengthen my immune system and provide me with much needed energy, and the humble spinach leaf, I've discovered, is just one of those ways.  It's also cheap, natural and readily available (unless of course you live close to those wonderful Nonna's baking their spinach and cheese pies, who buy up all of the spinach, which happened to me on the weekend.  Doh!).

So my present to your body today......a simple slow cooked dish packed full of this miracle of a vegetable.....

I have a love/hate relationship with fish.  I adore eating it and it's often my first choice when eating out, as it's a food I often crave, especially a thick white fluffy piece cooked to perfection and eaten on a warm Summer's afternoon - think crisp white wine, billowing  lace curtains and Nina Simone in the background and you have my idea of heaven.  My problem....I don't like cooking it.

Actually, I'm petrified of cooking it.

“She turned to the sunlight and shook her yellow head, and whispered to her neighbor:   "Winter is dead.” 

- A. A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

A Spring inspired dish to celebrate this beautiful season....

Fennel:   You're either a lover or a hater.  I'm a devoted lover and have been for a very long time, and as I've been slowly learning about the health benefits of this brilliant veg...I'm even more head over heels in love. 

Not only does it help in the relief of indigestion, flatulence and constipation, it's also brilliant in the treatment of anemia.....something that my mum is currently experiencing .  Not only is fennel high in iron, but the amino acid (known as histidine) found in fennel helps stimulate the production of hemoglobin.

So from me to you mum....it's cooked and packaged up ready for delivery.....

When I see the word Ratatouille, it instantly conjours up pictures of Summertime in Southern France.  Think the Mediterranean shoreline, a bright blazing sun and warm blue waters.

Ratatouille (a Provencal ragout of vegetables)  is one of those infamous recipes that everyone in France makes slightly different, and everyone else's recipe is wrong.  The French would cringe seeing this interpretation, but I LOVE it.  Even thought this version may not conjour those warm Summer months, it makes me think of cosy Winter nights rugged up under a blanket in front of a roaring fire.  Perfect for Winter in Melbourne!

If you're looking for a super simple and super quick recipe, then look no further.

I've made this dish a number of times after first discovering it on The Stone Soup Website, and the brilliance of this dish (well, I think so anyway) is that any extra can be frozen and whipped out when needed for an even quicker mid-week meal.  The chicken can be flaked off the bone and along with the capsicum, tossed through some quinoa or pasta, or you could even package it up and eat cold on a picnic.

Did I mention it only has 3 ingredients?

Did I mention how super simple it was?

I'd like to introduce you to Sarah, the brains behind The Pajama Chef.  I love that Sarah learnt to bake cookies at her grandma's knee (very envious) and I love that she would wear pajamas all day, every day if she could.  A girl after my own heart.  I also love that Sarah is my secret blog for this month's Secret Recipe Club.

Choosing this month's recipe was a toss up.  I was craving her Cilantro/Lime Hummus, but then I saw three little words that for some unknown reason make me smile, clap my hands and wiggle my bum at the same time every time.

Are you a "free-range" chicken or an "organic" chicken buyer?

Once upon a time, if I'm being honest with you, I was not concerned about either.  Now, I'm obsessed for healthy, sustainable food.  I've increased my awareness about what we are eating and where it has come from to the point that I can't turn back or pretend I know nothing about it.

Now, I'm organic all the way!

Phew...a lot has been happening in my little world of late. 

For one thing, I just moved house this past weekend.  I've only moved 5 minutes away, but my new home has air-conditioning.....hallelujah!

On top of all the packing, culling and cleaning amidst the 30-40 degree heat we've been experiencing, in a non-air-conditioned house (feeling sorry for me yet?), I've not been well.  So my packing has been interrupted with little naps on the couch and lots of moaning.

So needless to say I have been shoveling anything green into my mouth for the past few weeks in the form of juices, salads and dinners stuffed full of vegetables, and this little flavour packed dish has been one of my absolute favourites!

Being someone who lives and breathes recipes and food, I'm often asked what my favourite type of food is to cook.  Funnily enough, it's not the easiest question for me to answer as it completely depends on the season, time of day and of course, my mood.

If it's a mid-week meal during Summer, I love nothing better than experimenting with salads, and at the moment it's the ones that contain lentils that have me drooling.

A lazy weekend on a cooler day, I can guarantee you that my oven will be on and something yummy and soothing will be inside bubbling away.

However, there seems to be a few common links that bring most of the food that I love to cook together:

1.  Simplicity

2.  Fresh, organic produce

3.  A tilt towards French flavours

Case in point below.....

Would you believe that once upon a time I was a vegetarian.  I actually forget this little fact about myself as I'm now such a lover of meat.  Smoother a perfectly grilled piece of steak in bernaise sauce and I'm your friend for life.

However for many years I would turn my nose up to any and all meat.

These days, I tend to eat red meat maybe 2 times a week, however chicken is steadily getting a more regular apearance in my diet.  Always concerned about dry, tasteless chicken, I'm constantly on the lookout for new recipes.  Quick, simple and tasty new recipes actually, and here's one I think you might like...I did!

Crisp radicchio.  Smooth and creamy ricotta.  Salty savoury beef....oh what a dish!

Whip it up in a matter of minutes and you too could be enjoying this yummy mid-week meal.

Eating Mexican food these days brings back memories of New York where I travelled  with some girlfriends a couple of years ago.  Drinking jugs of sangria and chomping on corn chips in the East Village we witnessed hundreds of bikes riding past us with naked bodies attached.

Not a memory you can forget easily.

I later found out it was part of The World Naked Bike Ride.  Not just New Yorkers amusing themselves.

This dish may not be Mexican, but as soon as I add red kidney beans to a dish...voila....naked bike riders!

This dish takes as much time as it does to cook the pasta, and in the end you have a tangy, creamy and decadent bowl of yummy goodness in front of you.

Seriously, why would I eat take-out???

Do you want to know what realisation is the most amazing that I've had since cutting out fructose from my diet?  I feel like I'm actually in full control of my life!  It seems a little strange to write that, as I would normally consider myself to be an independent and confident person.

It's just that I'm not consumed by constant thoughts of chocolates, lollies and cakes.

It's amazing how freeing that feeling is, and it's only just hit me.

It's now officially week 2 of my I Quit Sugar

fructose experiment and I'm feeling so good.

I no longer feel bloated or puffy and the skin on my face is so soft and smooth.  I've lost 2kg too which is a HUGE bonus!

I haven't had a problem with cravings either (yet), apart from when a bag of lollies was handed around at work last week - my hand almost had a mind of its own - amazing how that happens, isn't it!

And as you can see, I'm still eating like a Queen.........

My dinner last night. 

Pure comfort in the form of a super simple, quick and tasty dish. 

And cooked all in the one pan too!  Doesn't get any better than that for a Tuesday night.

I'm finally back in the kitchen - Thank God! 

My fridge and cupboards are full. 

I've unpacked and found all of my pots and pans.

I'm finally home.

Enjoying the long weekend recently, I was able to finally get myself sorted, cruise around my new hood, and of course cook.  With a chill in the air, but blue sky's over head, I headed into the kitchen to make something warming and hearty.  Something fitting for this time of year.

Winter to me is walking to work on crisp, sunny mornings.  Snuggling under the blanket of an evening with a hot cup of tea, jazz playing in the background and my favourite cookbook of the moment.  And of course, my favourite, waiting patiently for my oven to do its slow cooking magic.

Normally when I'm looking for simplicity and comfort I head automatically towards pasta.  Just a quick and easy bowl of wholemeal pasta topped with a flavoursome napoli sauce is all I usually want.  However, for some reason these past few weeks, all I've wanted is rice.  Simple, yummy rice.

The time has come to say a fond farewell to my favourite season of them all - Autumn!

So I thought I’d take this opportunity to quickly pop in and share with you some of my favourite Autumn recipes.

So we recently chatted about fat-soluble vitamin A and how if you want your body to absorb all of the brilliant benefits this vitamin provides, then you had to consume it with fat.  Fact!

Today, it's all about vitamin D . . .

One of the main reasons my body is now thriving since embracing fat, I believe, is since I now include a good source of it with every one of my meals, my body’s now able to absorb all those wonderful and essential fat-soluble vitamins that I went for years (even decades) without absorbing.  They’re not called fat-soluble vitamins for nothing - and they say nutrient deficiencies can lead to autoimmune disease…..hello Hashimoto’s!!!

I'm all about lamb this Easter.

Wanna know why?

Cranberries.  Did you know the nutrients found in cranberries have been linked to a lower risk of urinary tract infections, improved immune function and decreased blood pressure?

No wonder they're eaten in abundance at Christmas time!

One of my favourite dishes to whip up during the Summer months, when I want to move a little slower.   When my body is craving comfort and nourishment, simplicity and of course, utter deliciousness.

Did you know that dairy, it seems, is the second most common food trigger of Hashimoto's (after gluten)?

The more information I gather on the subject, the easier I'm finding it to say adios.  One of the things helping me through.....Ghee.

Discover my number 2 factor contributing to a slow metabolism when dealing with the daily symptoms of Hashimoto's, and tips on what I've been doing to help....

Turmeric.  A powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant containing a mix of manganese, iron, vitamin B6, fiber, copper and potassium.

It's what gives curry both its flavour and yellow colour, but did you know it has also been used for thousands of years to help with numerous health conditions?   

Studies suggest that this super root helps with inflammation in our bodies, reduces tumour growth and aids in liver detox.  It helps protect our bodies against heavy metal toxicity and can also potentially benefit those of us with autoimmune thyroid conditions as a happy liver is crucial for proper thyroid hormone conversion.  

I play the love/hate game when it comes to getting test results back.  Are you the same?

I love knowing exactly what is happening with my body (especially the why), as it gives me the opportunity to be the true Taurean that I am and run head first into finding a solution.

Sometimes, however it’s like opening a can of worms.

Needless to say, the list that’s as long as my arm received from my recent visit to my Naturopath of all the vitamins and minerals I’m severely deficient in and the list of all the vitamins, minerals and metals my body is inundated with has left me a little overwhelmed, to say the least.

So I’m taking it a step at a time and thought I’d share my finds with you, just in case you too are a little overwhelmed with it all at the moment.

So first up to the plate, is da da daaaaa…….Potassium.  

It was inevitable.  I knew it, but ignored it. 

My new thyroid naturopath recently confirmed it. 

 It was time to say bye-bye to cow’s milk dairy.

 Crapola!

I have Hashimotos.  

It's an autoimmune disease that affects my thyroid gland.  That little butterfly-shaped ball located at the base of my neck where a lot of important activities take place, from controlling metabolism, female hormones and energy levels. Basically, everything that makes you feel good.

Jeez Louise!

One of the first and best things I did when I found out was to QUIT SUGAR (an absolute must, I believe, if you also have Hashimotos).  What my research has been teaching me and what my body has been telling me ever since that date is that sugar causes absolute havoc on the digestive tract, leading to “leaky gut” (a joy I’ve been dealing with for the past year) and which in turn can then trigger the development of autoimmune diseases….and round and round the cycle goes.

Coq au Vin - A French classic and easily one of the most celebrated chicken dishes in the world.  

Rumour has it that this dish was first cooked for Caesar himself.

However, it seems it was the delightful Ms Julia Childs who was the first to publish the recipe.

Wherever, whenever and by whomever - who cares.  I'm just grateful to know how to cook it and above all else, eat it.

Chicken for breakfast.  Yep, you heard me right.  I've been doing it for a little while now and am loving myself sick....well, loving my breakfast anyway.

I poach organic chicken breasts on the weekend, slice them, batch them and pop them in the freezer.  

With some left over veggies and a big dollop of hummus...breakfast is ready my friend!

Say hello to Helen!

Helen is from the North West of the UK.  She is a "massive foodie".  Loves travelling and caravanning with her family and is the creative mind behind the lovely family blog Casa Costello.  Casa Costello is filled with lovely family recipes, and is also where Helen runs her "Bake of the Week" posts.  

Casa Costello also happens to be my Secret Recipe Club Blog for the month of May.  My favourite month of them all.  It just happens to fall in Autumn (my favourite season of them all).  It holds my birthday (my all time favourite date of them all), AND this year I'll be spending most of it in France.  So needless to say....I LOVE May..........and I LOVE this recipe......

It's April, and that means it's Secret Recipe Club time once again.

This month I was given the blog Cooking in Stiletto's to stroll through and find my next little recipe.

 It's Autumn here in Australia and I'm sooooo looking forward to all of those yummy slow cooked foods I'm planning to cook as the weather gets cooler.  The wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen.  My mouth drooling knowing that that aroma will be gobbled up and in my tummy in a few hours time.

One of the aroma's I love (sometimes even more than actually eating it) is the smell of roast chicken.

Yes.  Another recipe from the cookbook I have fallen head over heals for.

I hope you're not bored yet, cause there is a lot more coming.

Each time I think I'll flick through another cookbook, I find I get a couple of pages in and then suddenly, low and behold, it's back in my hot little fingers once again.

I guess I can't really call it a "crush" anymore as I think we've moved more into "stalker" territory now.

Stew.

It's not a word I like. 

Having English parents, we grew up on stews and casseroles and I soon rebelled.  I refused to eat them.  Nothing to do with the food itself, I might add, but the word stew just didn't evoke a desire to eat.  At all!

Stew..Spew - that was what I called it.

Luckily I'm a grown up now.  I still call it "Stew Spew" but nowadays I eat it, and in fact I love, love, love it.

The humble white bean - I've eaten these little beauties for years - tossed in salads, maybe turned into my own version of baked beans, I've even pureed them with a little garlic and lemon and dolloped them on some crostini, but never have I used them as a replacement to mashed potatoes......and I'm in love!

There is something slightly decadent about it, and served with this quick and simple savoury mince - I enjoyed a most delicious supper this particular night.

As you can see I was in a piggy mood so added some pasta to the dish (brown rice pasta actually, so not too bad in the overall scheme of things), however I did devour this dish very quickly as it was sooo good - yep, just like a little piggy!

If you're looking for a quick and simple mid-week meal without all the bells and whistles, but lots of fresh flavour, then you should really take a look at The Stone Soup Website (here).  I'm loving the pure simplicity of it (no brain cells need to be used at all!), as Jules has given me 10 ingredients to make 5 meals!

After the last few weeks I've had, I have no desire to cook, let alone any inspiration to want to get back into the kitchen, except to make a cup of tea.  However, a quick look on The Stone Soup website has sparked a little interest ...... I'm so pleased that I cleaned out one of my cupboards one day which lead to discovering a lost cookbook, which then lead to re-discovering The Stone Soup blog.

"10 Ingredient Shopping List" - that sounds about my pace right at this moment.

It's no secret that I LOVE butter, however growing up in the society that we do where eating butter is frowned upon and anything labeled "low fat" is the holy grail, I have, over time, converted to this way of thinking unfortunately.  Deep down inside though, I know this isn't correct and I find myself gravitating to any information/facts that prove this feeling.  Once such piece of information I read recently was on The Stone Soup blog where she talks about a book she recently read called "Real Food" by Nina Planck’s - a journey to finding a balance between enjoying food and being happy with her waistline.

As hard as it is to change years of habit, I am going to try one step at a time to embrace, and more importantly, accept Plank's simple guidelines of:

Burgundy isn't a region we're planning to explore on our trip to France later this year.  As a number of my favourite dishes come from the region, including Coq au Vin, it's definitely a place a plan to go back to one day. 

Another reason I'd like to go back would be to go to a cooking class at The Cooks Atelier.  An amazing looking school where you head off to the market in the morning then cook the afternoon away.  I had originally thought I'd just pop down there from Paris to attend the school, but with the amount of things I want to do in Paris - I'll think I'll have to leave it for now.  Oh well, there's always next time.

Chasseur means "hunter" and is a term used for dishes that include mushrooms, shallots, tomatoes, wine and brandy and is most often served with game/poultry.  To me, when I see the word Chasseur

I instantly refer to Chicken Chasseur.  A dish I haven't made in years and a dish that I've fallen back in love with.  Why did it ever go out of fashion?

Bonjour!

If heaven is me being surrounding by French food (and maybe a French man or two) then I've got my bags packed and I'm ready.

As you can see, I'm loving this fortnight's theme - European (although when I saw the word European, I really saw the words French Food).

I have a new addition to my family.

A new cookbook to be precise.

It's French, and I love it!

Flicking lovingly through my brand new baby I found my dish for this fortnight's theme -